


Judgement (a John 221b for the Sherlock Seattle 2016 brochure)

by pennypaperbrain



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 12:03:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8445100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennypaperbrain/pseuds/pennypaperbrain
Summary: Round here, if you gaze into the abyss it suggests a Chinese takeaway.





	

‘...bomb in a Kabul marketplace. Initial reports suggest...’

In the grey bedsit dawn, with Radio Four for company, John doesn’t regret his service. Morality isn’t the concern, or congratulations or lefty censures. He surrendered his judgement to Queen and Country, and can’t take it back at will.

Children die with or without him. So think about something else.

***

This skinny civilian’s a lunatic, and that’s more than fine. Fizzing like a stick of cartoon dynamite, brain mined with genius, possibly as manic as John is depressed, and needing his guidance about the sensitivities surrounding a dead child.

Sherlock is colder and hotter than murder, all at once. It’s impossible to judge him, and so much more exhilarating not to.

***

Jeff Hope, however, is not very nice. In a taxi following them, John both thinks and doesn’t think. Training is instinct, his hand is his gun, and judgement is given to those who know its weight.

Surety ignites. John commits. Jeff dies. Sherlock only just aborts suicide, which they may need to talk about later.

Round here, if you gaze into the abyss it suggests a Chinese takeaway.

***

It’s sitting around monitoring cracks in your brain that kills you. John’s not a leader, but he knows where to go.

In this way, the soldier heals himself. The physician is marching to battle.


End file.
